Over the course of five days, Miami proved itself a force to be reckoned with as an international player in the competitive fashion world as it opened Miami Fashion Week at Ice Palace Studios in Wynwood. The anticipated event brought in more than 700 of Miami’s greatest fashionistas and fashionistos, eager to see the newest collections from world-renowned designers including Silvia Tcherassi, Shantall Lacayo, Custo Barcelona, Fisico, Yirko Sivirich, Rene Ruiz, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Angel Sanchez. Miami Fashion Week honorary president Antonio Banderas helped create the hype as he was present at each one of the week’s events, from the kickoff evening to the daytime Master Class programming events on the business of fashion at Miami-Dade College and the high-fashion runway shows, as well as the evening events including a concert by Diego Torres and his own charity benefit gala.

While this wasn’t the first time Miami Fashion Week took place in the Magic City, this year’s event was significant for a few important reasons: 1. It was included in the CFDA Official Fashion Calendar—if you are a true follower of the fashion world, the CFDA calendar is like the bible to all fashion shows, meticulously choosing the best of the best around the world, of which Miami was selected as one of the top five shows, alongside New York, London, Milan and Paris; 2. It has earned the title of the second-largest fashion week in the United States, following New York; 3. The production was anything but ordinary—the same production genius that was famous for creating Kendall Jenner’s Trevi Fountain for the Fendi Runway Show created the setup of Miami Fashion Week; 4. Vogue Mexico was Miami Fashion Week’s media partner and live-streamed all of the shows on vogue.com; 5. It was the top international fashion week out of anywhere in the world, including top designers from Spain, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua and Miami.

Photo Credit: Yorch Sans

The week kicked off on Wednesday, May 31st with an invitation-only press conference followed by an exclusive kickoff party at the new Saks Fifth Avenue in the Brickell City Centre where the designers and notables came out to celebrate the start of the week in style. On Thursday, Silvia Tcherassi debuted the first runway show of the week, showcasing a stunning 2018 resort collection that popped with earthy, organic silhouettes and color palettes, incorporating elements of nature from wooden purses that were handcrafted using ancestral techniques of the Mocaná tribe, to espadrilles and colorful bird-like hair clips. With a backdrop of tribal-inspired tunes, Tcherassi expertly blended the high-fashion show with natural elements, taking the audience on a stylish journey to the jungle. That evening, the most exclusive event of the week took place, where the designers of the show and VVIPs attended a posh dinner party at the Delano South Beach.

Friday featured designers Shantall Lacayo and Custo Barcelona, debuting high-energy shows with bright, popping colors. In the first show, Shantall Lacayo opened the night with retro looks inspired by the ’80s and ’90s, including minidresses, miniskirts, leather jackets and sweatpants in shades of pastels like baby blue, rose and lilac that were offset against striking prints of cheetah as well as accents of beads, sequins and rhinestones, creating a vibrant and eye-catching runway show. The latter also brought flair to the runway, drawing inspiration from the laid-back attitude of Southern California, in combination with its world-renowned Spanish glamour. The runway showcased looks with bold prints, metallic shine and flirty fringe, with a range of looks appropriate for everything from beachside hangouts to nighttime charisma. Later in the evening, Antonio Banderas played host to the Antonio Banderas Benefit Gala, a $1000-per-seat charity gala that raised funds for the Miami Children’s Health Foundation and the star’s personal charity, Fundación Lágrimas y Favores. The event was held at the historic Alfred I. duPont Building, where guests enjoyed a luxurious evening complete with a gourmet sit-down dinner and inspiring performance by Grammy-nominated Latin Musician Diego Torres.

Fisico runway show

Photo Credit: Humberto Vidal

Saturday included three shows from designers Fisico, Yirko Sivirich and Miami’s own Rene Ruiz. Cristina Ferrari’s Resort Collection for Fisico took on a psychedelic, sci-fi runway theme as Swarovski crystals covered the models’ bodies for some galactic shine with bodycon dresses and jumpsuits that had an extraterrestrial glow from glittering gold and silver accessories as well as iridescent sunglasses to complete the look. Yirko Sivirich’s men’s and women’s collections took on a surfer vibe as the men wore floor-length floral jumpsuits and linen galore, while the women sported canvas tote bags with colorful surf separates and one-pieces. Rene Ruiz closed out the show with theatrical glamour as models made their way down the runway dressed to the nines in his elaborate cocktail dresses and gowns, accentuated by show-stopping shimmering fabrics with feathers and sequins over colors of white, gold, silver and green. Later in the evening, guests celebrated the Miami Fashion Week Bash, a ticketed event open to the public with a special performance by Diego Torres.

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada runway show

Photo Credit: Dora Franco

The final day of Miami Fashion week finished strong, showcasing designers Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Angel Sanchez. Agatha Ruiz de la Prada created a whimsical runway, complete with a resort line of swimwear that was fun and playful with models dressed in bright colors of pastel pink with embroidered hearts, florals, polka dots, stripes and more, each with a matching red heart centered at the top of their heads as they strutted down the runway against a backdrop of rainbow stripes. The finale of the show brought the audience to applause as a stunning model made her way down the runway in a white strapless one-piece, flanked on each side by billowing white drapes held in the air by white heart balloons. Angel Sanchez’s show took a different tone, backed by a track of slow, deep-house tunes that matched the beat as the leggy models made their way down the runway in stunning evening gowns, first in white, then in an assortment of other colors including navy blue, green, pink, black and yellow. Afterward, the group celebrated one last time for the official invitation-only closing party where the designers and MFW team were commemorated for a spectacular week of fashion, creativity, education and charity.